Find out how popular the last name Woulf is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Woulf.

Woulf, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Woulf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woulf in America

Woulf is the 119508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woulf surname appeared 145 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Woulf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woulf to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Woulf

The surname Woulf has its origins in the British Isles, specifically England, and can be traced back to the early Middle Ages. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English word wulf, which means wolf. This connection to wolves might suggest that the original bearers of the name were either hunters of wolves, had some characteristic associated with wolves, or possibly were totemic symbols.

Woulf has similar spellings in various historical records, which include Wolf, Woolf, and Wulff. One of the earlier records of a name with this origin appears in the Domesday Book of 1086. For instance, there is mention of a man named Wulfweard, indicating that variations of the word wulf were already in use prior to the 12th century.

Historical references to the surname in medieval records exist sporadically. One early recorded instance of the surname is Robert Woulf, mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275. These tax records provide insight into the presence and spread of the surname throughout England.

The surname Woulf can also be traced to the 14th century in the form of Thomas Woulf, who appears in the York Pleas of 1379. Such legal documentation illustrates the role individuals with this surname played in local governance and society during the medieval period.

Another notable figure is Sir William Woulf, an early 17th-century English landowner who was active during the reign of King James I. His contributions to local agricultural advancements were significant during his lifetime.

In Ireland, the Woulf surname appears in the context of the Anglo-Irish gentry, who often settled in the region post-Norman invasion. John Woulf, born in 1550 and died in 1616, was a notable figure in County Limerick, spreading the surname in Irish territories.

Nicholas Woulf, an 18th-century English merchant, expanded the surname's influence by involving himself in early transatlantic trade. His connections brought the surname to colonial America, where it took root in the New England region.

One of the last significant mentions is that of Captain Richard Woulf, a maritime captain born in 1810 who played a role in the early 19th-century explorations of the South American coastlines. Through these various figures, the Woulf surname has demonstrated its historical breadth across different regions and periods, epitomizing a connection to its etymological roots and the evolving narrative of those who bore the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woulf

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Woulf.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Woulf was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Woulf has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Woulf was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Woulf, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!